President of the United States, Donald Trump, has vowed retaliation following the deaths of three Americans after joint strikes by the US and Israel on Iran.
He also accused the Iranian leadership of “waging war against civilization itself.”
Speaking about the casualties, the US president said, “We are sad for the real American heroes who gave their lives for our country, even as we keep going with the right mission they fought for.”
Trump urged citizens to pray for the recovery of five other personnel who sustained severe injuries and cautioned that additional US casualties could occur.
“Unfortunately, there will probably be more before it’s over. That’s probably how it will be more. But we’ll do everything we can to avoid that happening,” he said.
US Central Command (Centcom), headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and responsible for overseeing military operations across the Middle East, confirmed earlier on Sunday that by 9:30 a.m. ET, three American service members had been killed while five others were critically wounded in what the Pentagon described as Operation Epic Fury.
The US military did not specify the timing or location of the incident, but the casualties represent the first American losses since Trump authorised the strikes on Iran early Saturday.
Both allies and adversaries of the US were reportedly taken by surprise by Trump’s unexpected move against Iran.
A Centcom update stated, “Major fighting is still happening, and we’re still working to respond to the situation. The situation is still changing, so in order to show respect for the families, we will not share more details, including the names of those who lost their lives, until 24 hours after the families have been informed.”
In the president’s revised six-minute address, first posted on Truth Social, he sought to prepare Americans for the likelihood that the conflict could last longer than initially anticipated.